Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Jeep Patriot owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My son is driving on the freeway at 70mph during the summer and all of a sudden, his car literally decelerates. He goes from 70mph to 20mph immediately. This has happened 3 times this summer, 4 times last summer (I have posted before), and multiple times in 2017 (everytime he comes home from college in the summer!). This last time it happened at the beginning of this month (sept), he was almost rear-ended and then almost sideswiped. The dealerships can't duplicate this problem (he's been to two different dealerships), but Jeep knows there is an issue (there are numerous complaints). The car shows no signs of overheating and gives no notice that there is a problem. Once he has sat along the side of the freeway for 1/2 to 1 hour, he can start his car and drive again. When is Jeep going to recognize there is an issue? We have paid to have transmission fluid changed - didn't help. …
Around 50000 miles the engine started to stop accelerating during operation. During driving on a highway or city street (at all speeds) the engine would begin to malfunction without warning and the maximum speed that could be met was about 10mph with gas fully engaged. Pullingnover and restarting the vehicle would override this for a short time. It started to occur more frequently to the point I would have to restart my car a approximately 15 times to make a 9 mile trip to work. Happened several times driving on a highway at speeds of up to 65mph and almost caused accidents several times before I could pull off on to the shoulder. …
I was driving my 2012 Jeep Patriot on the highway when simultaneously, the electronic throttle control light started blinking red, my car started to jerk forward, and lost power. This reoccurred several times on the way to get it looked at. Each time it happened, I had to shut the vehicle off, wait a few minutes, and then restart. I took it to a Jeep dealer and without even looking at it, the guy said it would be about $600 to fix (even though I still have power train warranty). This to me looks like this is a reoccurring problem that Jeep is aware of, but is not doing anything about. Luckily each time this happened, I was able to pull over and avoid an accident, others might not be so lucky. Until this problem is resolved, my Jeep is not safe to drive.
While on the freeway, speed 65-70 my car suddenly lost all acceleration and a winding noise accompanies the loss. Sometimes the temp gauge or electric throttle light will light up. This has happened a total of 4 times over the past 2 months. All 4 times I have been able to wait an hour, start the car drives normally. After each occasion I've taken the car to a Chrysler Jeep dealer. Either they say it's a misfire, or I need a tune up or an ignition coil. I've since had all these repairs and the issue continues. This is very unsafe. I've had my kids in the car every time, thankfully I avoided getting rear ended and now drive in the slow lane not over 65 MPH just to be prepared for my Jeep to do this again. I'm scared to drive this car.
While driving or in a parked position while the engine runs, the RPM needle drops to zero 0 and my car doesn't accelerate when pressing the gas pedal. There are times I am on the highway and RPM drops to zero 0 and I have to pull over on the shoulders. I would have to put the car in park, and shut my car off for extra minutes or more before I can fully restart it. If I try turning the car on before the 2 minutes it would take a longer time to restart. This is very dangerous because the car shut off when I'm at the stop light, in the middle of the highway. When making a turn, and the RPM needle drops to zero 0, my steering wheel becomes so stiff/harden and is very very difficult to complete the turn.
A notification came on saying gas cap, a week later check engine light came on. I went for the diagnostic it read trouble code p0456. Which is an EVAP system leak detected. There isn't a possible cause for this. Reported fixes are replaced evaporative system integrity monitor (esim) assembly or replace the fuel filler cap. I took the car to the dealer and they wouldn't do anything because I was over 36,000 miles ( I was under the three year mark). I've replaced the gas cap, but I still have the same problem, which is a noticeable decrease in gas mileage and acceleration. I have an extended warranty but it doesn't cover anything related to emissions. ...updated 09/28/15 updated 11/08/2017
A few months ago my vehicle started to randomly stall and jerk. We thought nothing of it. Then a few weeks ago my engine light came on and a warning that something was wrong with the fuel cap. A few days later all of that stopped coming on. Yesterday as I was pulling out of my neighborhood several lights came on for the stability control and the electrical throttle light came on as well. I was going up a hill and my vehicle barely made it up the hill. I got back to my driveway turned it off and tried again and it was the same issue. I've made an appointment at the dealership to find out the problem, but this came out of no where. I haven't tried to drive the vehicle for safety reasons.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that while entering a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. The vehicle drove over the curve and crashed into a tree. The contact sustained injuries to her knee caps and the front passenger sustained bruised ribs. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the electronic throttle body was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 2,260.... Updated 12/26/12
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Jeep Patriot. While driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact pulled over and the vehicle resumed normal operation once it was restarted. The contact's friend used a code detector that determined that the throttle was defective. The manufacturer and dealer were not contacted. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 13V120000 (fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 75 MPH and attempted to change lanes, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to increase in speed. The vehicle was pulled to the side and restarted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was unable to be replicated. The failure recurred and the vehicle was taken to another dealer where the failure was unable to be replicated as well. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
Acceleration complaints in other Patriot years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2012 Jeep Patriot?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2012 Jeep Patriot, 8% of the model year's 354 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Jeep Patriot acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2012 Jeep Patriot, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2012 Jeep Patriot acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 26% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.